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Padilla Terror Trial Targets Islam: Lawyer

Defense charges prosecutors play on jurors' post-9-11 fears

By Heather McPherson,  Newser User

Posted Aug 14, 2007 5:20 PM CDT

(Newser) – A lawyer for one of Jose Padilla's co-defendants accused prosecutors of turning the terror suspects' trial into a "US versus Islam" crusade to conceal a lack of evidence. Padilla, a US citizen, and two other men face charges of conspiring to murder and injure people in Afghanistan and Eastern Europe, as well as providing material support to Al-Queda.

Padilla was originally arrested for plotting to set off a dirty bomb, then held in a military jail for 3 1/2 years. But the charges in this civil case make no reference to a bomb plot, Reuters reports. Meanwhile, one defense lawyer charged that the government's case rests on clips of wiretapped conversations taken out of context and questionably translated from Arabic. 

Jose Padilla,  also known as Abdullah al Muhajir, who was arrested in an alleged plot to spread radioactive material across parts of America, is shown in this undated file photo. Padilla gave evasive or vague answers about his activities, contacts and travel in the Middle East when he was interviewed...
Jose Padilla, also known as Abdullah al Muhajir, who was arrested in an alleged plot to spread radioactive material across parts of America, is shown in this undated file photo. Padilla gave evasive...   (Associated Press)
Jose Padilla,  the accused al-Qaida operative is escorted by federal marshals at his arrival in Miami in this Thursday, Jan. 5, 2006 file photo.  Padilla's attorney, Anthony Natale, told U.S. District Judge Marcia Cooke on Tuesday Aug. 1, 2007 they will not put on a defense case, meaning the...
Jose Padilla, the accused al-Qaida operative is escorted by federal marshals at his arrival in Miami in this Thursday, Jan. 5, 2006 file photo. Padilla's attorney, Anthony Natale, told U.S. District...   (Associated Press)
This courtroom drawing shows Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Frazier, left, and defendants Adham Amin Hassoun, second from left, Jose Padilla, center, and Kifah Wael Jayyousi, far right, on the opening day of their terrorism conspiracy trial in federal court in Miami, Monday, May 14, 2007.  Also pictured is U....
This courtroom drawing shows Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Frazier, left, and defendants Adham Amin Hassoun, second from left, Jose Padilla, center, and Kifah Wael Jayyousi, far right, on the opening...   (Associated Press)
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